Volunteering as an EMT

[bkformanekb]

I was wondering if it was legal in the state of CT to volunteer as an EMT to administer first aid at sports events such as little league baseball games? Someone in my towns Parks and Rec Department has asked if I could do this, but I don't know if this is legal for me to do.

 

[Wayfaring Man]

Many places the local EMS services will handle sporting events and so on, having a rig on standby. If you're an EMT, just check out a game and see who is posting up, then check to see if that company takes volunteers. If you're not an EMT, you'd need to be an EMT to do this regardless, so it probably won't be happening this season.

Edit: I misread your post a bit. You're an EMT and a Parks/Rec guy asked you to do this?

You'd have to check with your affiliation and see if it's alright. You'd also need to have all your equipment, and since you're operating on your medical director's license, you'd need his okay or that of an officer. You also need to have all necessary equipment to be "in service" so you'd basically need a go-bag with O2 and a bus and driver at the very least. So basically if there's not already ambulances there you can check with an officer but I would be reluctant to go "on duty" as an EMT per se without official orders from someone. If they already have all that stuff sorted out, and there's already a company doing it, and that company accepts volunteers, then I don't see why you couldn't affiliate with them and do it up.

 

[Medic Tim]

I was wondering if it was legal in the state of CT to volunteer as an EMT to administer first aid at sports events such as little league baseball games? Someone in my towns Parks and Rec Department has asked if I could do this, but I don't know if this is legal for me to do.

laws and rules vary from place to place, but as a general rule of thumb.... no medical director = you cannot work/function as an EMT.... you can provide first aid only.

 

[bkformanekb]

I am wondering if its ok to just do first aid. I would not be operating as an EMT I would just be an EMT doing first aid... No BLS. I still need the MD's permission? Basically im wondering if first aid comes with the EMT certification

 

[chaz90]

First aid can be performed by a lay person. As in, stop bleeding and do CPR.

 

[bkformanekb]

I understand. But I think the parks and rec person wanted someone with experience, and I quote:

"Anyone without experience can administer first aid, but someone with an EMT certificate ensures that first aid will be administered correctly almost every time. This increases a child's safety when they are in a sports game. If they are hurt, they can be treated quickly and efficiently. Also, they will be examined by what is considered professional in the medical field, ensuring no further injury to any of the players."

I know what I can do as an EMT working under the direction of a Medical Director, but as far as a volunteer not under any direction of a medcial director, what can I do at a sporting event? Treat for everything taught in a Red Cross First Aid/ CPR/ AED class?

 

[Akulahawk]

I understand. But I think the parks and rec person wanted someone with experience, and I quote:

"Anyone without experience can administer first aid, but someone with an EMT certificate ensures that first aid will be administered correctly almost every time. This increases a child's safety when they are in a sports game. If they are hurt, they can be treated quickly and efficiently. Also, they will be examined by what is considered professional in the medical field, ensuring no further injury to any of the players."

I know what I can do as an EMT working under the direction of a Medical Director, but as far as a volunteer not under any direction of a medcial director, what can I do at a sporting event? Treat for everything taught in a Red Cross First Aid/ CPR/ AED class?

What they really want is someone who is a Certified or Licensed Athletic Trainer. Good luck finding one that's willing to volunteer their time... If all they're looking for is simple First Aid, then pretty much stick to what the Red Cross teaches.

Trust me when I say that you could very well be in over your head as far as doing appropriate sports-related patient care assessments and treatment of their injuries.

 

[bkformanekb]

Yes you are probably right as far as the patient assessments and what they may actually need go. However they asked for an EMT, so i guess thats what they'll get. I wont only be attending sports games ill be doing many events non sport related too. But ill stick to what the red cross says and i wont do anything special unless the absolute need presents itself and im the only hope for the patients survival.

 

[Wayfaring Man]

Yes you are probably right as far as the patient assessments and what they may actually need go. However they asked for an EMT, so i guess thats what they'll get. I wont only be attending sports games ill be doing many events non sport related too. But ill stick to what the red cross says and i wont do anything special unless the absolute need presents itself and im the only hope for the patients survival.

Even in this scenario, what would you be able to do as an EMT without any gear? If all you have is basically a first aid trauma kit, maybe an AED but probably not, no O2, no meds, no airway adjuncts, etc., then even if you had to give EMT level care, how would you?

I misunderstood the question twice it looks like. Yeah I would trust an EMT to give good quality layperson first aid, but that's because layperson first aid is basically the easier parts of trauma treatment and CPR+AED without BVM.

If you have a break, even if they don't teach splinting in first aid, you could reasonably splint something, you can reasonably treat more or less any first aid requiring wound, but being honest with ourselves the strength of an EMT over a layperson is training/experience and an ambulance with gear. Take away the ambulance and gear, and the difference between a well trained layperson and an EMT gets pretty slim. Without an ambulance, even skills in presumptive diagnosis become pretty useless because a presumptive diagnosis is by definition not definitive and if you can't get them to definitive care, it's useless.

But yeah, I'd check with your officer but I don't see why you couldn't slap bandaids on skinned knees. Protocols matter when you're acting as an EMT. I'm not operating outside my scope of practice when I give my wife an ibuprofen. I guess unless I threw on my job shirt and went 'as an EMT I'm giving you this ibuprofen.'

So yeah, the other thing is don't wear your EMT patch because if you're identified as an EMT, you're an EMT, and you have to function to that level of care which as we've discussed you can't do without medical direction. You didn't mention if this thing is in your jurisdiction or not, by the way. In some jurisdictions you can operate as an EMT whether you're "on duty" or not, but you're bound by your protocols and you are supposed to act up to the level that your training and equipment allows regardless. So if you're a paramedic but you only have BLS equipment, you're an EMT. If you're an EMT and you have no equipment, you're basically an EMR, and so on. But yeah I wouldn't wear a patch or job shirt identifying you as an EMT unless you were there with the permission of medical direction.

 

[bkformanekb]

I planned on bringing my own equipment... to be clear... i cannot wear anything identifying me as an EMT? Not even a t-shirt? Because i need to be identifiable to coaches and players.

 

[Tigger]

I planned on bringing my own equipment... to be clear... i cannot wear anything identifying me as an EMT? Not even a t-shirt? Because i need to be identifiable to coaches and players.

When I work for myself doing first aid type stuff I wear a plain polo and khaki shorts. Before the event I introduce myself to coaches and staff and let them know where I'll be.

I also will not give any sort of medications to minors unless a parent is physically present.

 

[chaz90]

When I work for myself doing first aid type stuff I wear a plain polo and khaki shorts. Before the event I introduce myself to coaches and staff and let them know where I'll be.

I also will not give any sort of medications to minors unless a parent is physically present.

What's funny is this option potentially allows you to do more in some respects. As an EMT, there's no option to give out any kind of analgesia in an official capacity. On your own time as a private person providing first aid however, no one cares if you offer people Motrin, Tylenol, Naproxen, or Aspirin. Heck, even handing out Benadryl to people who left their allergy medicine at home is allowed!

 

[Tigger]

What's funny is this option potentially allows you to do more in some respects. As an EMT, there's no option to give out any kind of analgesia in an official capacity. On your own time as a private person providing first aid however, no one cares if you offer people Motrin, Tylenol, Naproxen, or Aspirin. Heck, even handing out Benadryl to people who left their allergy medicine at home is allowed!

I'll give adults whatever they want but I am a bit worried about kids taking something that they didn't know they were allergic to and whatnot.

 

[Wayfaring Man]

I planned on bringing my own equipment... to be clear... i cannot wear anything identifying me as an EMT? Not even a t-shirt? Because i need to be identifiable to coaches and players.

I can't answer this because I'm not in your AHJ writing your specific protocols, or the by-laws for your company, or so on.

I personally would not wear anything identifying me as an EMT if I was working unofficially in a medical setting because doing so creates the duty to act up to your level of training. It's like the old question of throwing a job shirt on when you go into the gas station. If you don't throw it on, and someone DFOs, you can leave, or not leave, or just call 911, or whatever. You're a bystander. If you do throw it on, and someone DFOs, you're a first responder, you have a duty to act, and if you decide to slink out the back door you're potentially liable.

So if you're at the game, and you identify as an EMT, you need to act as an EMT. And if you're acting as an EMT, you're bound by protocols. That means you lose a lot of options (as mentioned above) and also you're operating on your MD's license.

As for giving meds out to kids at games, I wouldn't see that as my position as an event first responder. I'll dress wounds and that's about it, because I'm not going to assume the liability of asking children what meds they've taken and knowing what interacts with what, even though I have a better knowledge of that stuff than a lot of CFR/EMRs and EMTs and so on due to working in pharmacy for 7 years. I ain't about to roll the dice on that. And I'm not gonna show up with a pharmacy anyways.

Basically I'd look at your protocols for Certified First Responders in your area and not do anything other than that. That way if you did get pressed on it, you could say truthfully that you acted up to your level of training with the equipment on hand. Then again, that makes it seem like you're acting in an official capacity, and that's the major distinction. If you're acting in any official capacity (and wearing a badge or patch indicates you are) then you're obligated to act according to your protocols, and under your MD's direction. If you're not acting in an official capacity, do whatever you feel comfortable doing.

Realistically, nobody is likely to sue you because you didn't put a bandaid on right or you gave their kid 200mg of ibuprofen for a bruise, but then, do you want to risk your certification because you gave a kid a trivial dose of something?

 

[Wes]

It's going to depend greatly on your state's EMS laws and regulations. And I'll leave it at that. This thread, at least in my eyes, is getting awfully close to legal advice.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Call the CT OEMS and ask there. A forum full of people making guesses doesn't help you.

http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3127&q=387362